Mormon girl, 12, is stopped from speaking as she explains why she is gay to church

‘God loves me just this way because I believe that he loves all his creations,’ says child before her microphone is cut off and she’s asked to sit down

The Independent, UK/June 18, 2017

By Ian Johnston

A 12-year-old girl who came out as a lesbian in front of her Mormon church congregation in Utah was told to sit down halfway through a speech in which she said she was not a “horrible sinner”.

Speaking at the church’s monthly Fast and Testimony session, the girl, Savannah, said she was a child of “heavenly parents” who had “made me to be gay”, according to a video taken by someone in the audience which has been watched by more than 200,000 people.

But, as she was speaking at the church near Salt Lake City, the microphone was turned off and she was asked to sit down.

A man then addressed the congregation, using the same mic, telling them he was grateful that the “Heavenly Father has made us all unique”.

Savannah began by saying she wanted to “share my testimony with you”.

“I believe I am a child of heavenly parents. I don’t know if they talk to us, but I feel in my heart that they made me and that they love me. I believe I was made the way I am, all parts of me, by my heavenly parents,” she said in remarks first reported by Pink News.

“They did not mess up when they gave me brown eyes, or when I was born bald. They did not mess up when they gave me freckles or they made me to be gay. God loves me just this way because I believe that he loves all his creations.

“No part of me is a mistake. I do not choose to be this way and it is not a fad. I cannot make someone else gay and being around me won’t make anyone else this way.

“I believe that God wants us to treat each other with kindness, even if people are different – especially if they are different. Christ showed us this.

“I believe that we should just love. I believe I am good. I try my best to be nice to each other and stick up for those that are hurting.

“I know I’m not a horrible sinner for being who I am. I believe God would tell me if I was wrong.”

She said she hoped to one day go on dates, to school dances and eventually to find a partner, get married, have a family and find a “great job”.

“I know I can have all of these things as a lesbian and be happy. I believe that if God is there, he knows I’m perfect just the way I am, and would never ask me to live my life alone or with someone I am not attracted to,” she said.

“He would want me to be happy. I want to be happy. I want to love myself and not to feel shame for being me. I ask you…”

The microphone then went dead and Savannah was asked to sit down.

A man then rose to say: “Brothers and sisters, I ask you to recognise that we are all children of God, we are loved by our Heavenly Father.

“And, I have no doubt that Heavenly Father has made us all unique in different ways and for that I am grateful.

“And I am grateful for all of you that are here today as sons and daughters of God.

“And I know very much and I’m grateful for Heavenly Father’s plans for us. And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

Her mother Heather told dailymail.com that Savannah left the stage in tears.

“She came off crying to me. We both walked out of the hall, and I held her face in my hands and told her over and over that she is perfect and good, that there is nothing wrong with who she is, that she is brave and beautiful,” she added.

”I was angry that they chose to hurt her for whatever reason they had.

“My husband and I both were reluctant to let her share her testimony because of the potential rejection. She asked to do it in January, we finally agreed in May.

“She had worked so hard at perfecting it so that it would portray exactly how she felt. We decided to let her do it because we thought it would be more harmful to silence her or give her reason to feel she is wrong in any way.”

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